Chapter 817: Dreams of Massed Artillery

The massive weapon resembles an old-fashioned muzzle-loading cannon, and the sight leaves Henwell disappointed.

Pajero catches the look on his face. "My lord, we did try the breech-loading cannon you proposed."

"Even after repeated attempts to slow the gunpowder, it still releases its energy far too quickly. A closed breechblock simply cannot withstand the immense pressure."

"If we slow the burn rate any further, the powder will cease to function as a propellant and will not generate enough thrust."

"Under your requirement that we avoid extraordinary alloy, Peace Haven's current conventional alloy steel simply cannot withstand the chamber pressure generated when the shell is fired."

As he speaks, Pajero points toward an even larger breech-loading cannon.

The cannon is more than forty centimeters across, yet its bore is only ten centimeters wide. The barrel walls are thicker than the bore itself.

Looking at the massive weapon, Pajero says helplessly, "We tried many different approaches."

"With the strength of Peace Haven's current propellant, this terrifying monster is what it takes to fully withstand the pressure."

"With specially made projectiles, its range exceeds ten kilometers, but accuracy is a matter of luck and the projectiles have very limited destructive power."

"It is worthless as a field weapon. It already costs more than a steam ballista and offers nothing in return."

Pajero returns to the previous cannon. "To reduce chamber pressure, we added pressure-release vents near the muzzle."

"Venting that force greatly reduces the recoil during firing and also helps suppress muzzle rise."

"This cannon weighs two tons, has a caliber of one hundred millimeters, and a range of five kilometers. Its shell uses a delayed internal-detonation design."

"It is less destructive than a heavy ballista, but it has reached the level of a medium ballista."

"With a trained crew, it can fire three to four rounds per minute."

"It uses less than ten kilograms of extraordinary alloy."

"The shell requires an extraordinary sigil to protect the explosive charge inside and prevent the tremendous chamber pressure from setting it off during firing."

Pajero pauses there. "Whether it has any real battlefield value, or is worth its cost, remains open to debate."

Henwell understands the implication. None of the military officers with him expects much from the weapon.

Pajero tries to persuade him. "My lord, the principle may be the same as the Thunder Hand Cannon, but that does not mean we can simply enlarge it in proportion."

"A Thunder Hand Cannon contains less than one kilogram of extraordinary alloy."

"If we scaled that proportion up to a cannon, the cost of every gun would be absurd."

Henwell considers this in silence. "What about a light indirect-fire cannon?"

Pajero shakes his head. "The same problem applies, my lord. There are only two ways to achieve what you want."

"First, Peace Haven's alloy steel must reach the strength of extraordinary alloy in every respect."

"Only then could a very small amount of it withstand such enormous chamber pressure."

"Second, we must improve the gunpowder formula and develop more stable propellants and explosive charges."

"In short, we can build the weapon with the materials we have now, but we cannot equip an army with it."

Henwell knows Pajero is telling the truth. He sighs. "Very well. I will give the gunpowder research department more funding for safer experimental equipment."

"If necessary, I will ask people from the Arcane Academy to help you build a safer laboratory."

"I am not pursuing this out of simple obsession."

"No matter how far a steam ballista develops, it will remain difficult to make one small."

"Once we break through the material barrier for this cannon, however, our infantry will finally have Supporting Fire."

"We could even issue these weapons down to battalions and combat companies. When that happens, our offensive capability will undergo a qualitative transformation."

Pajero understands. He promises to keep investing time and effort in the project.

He may not understand Henwell's fixation, but the attention Henwell gives the project makes its importance obvious.

Even then, Pajero has no idea just how highly Henwell values artillery.

Give Henwell two heavy artillery regiments, and he would march on Guardian City without hesitation.

Henwell visits the Biological Analysis Department next, where large numbers of captured extraordinary creatures are held.

They include humans, calamity creatures, and native extraordinary species.

Calamity creatures are by far the most numerous.

At the moment, personnel from two departments are observing an experiment.

A Peace Haven squad is currently fighting dozens of calamity creatures inside the testing ground.

Once the squad forms ranks, its members follow their captain in shouting one of Peace Haven's oaths, and the Light of Civilization appears around them.

The squad is already made up entirely of professionals. With the Light of Civilization strengthening them, they soon cut down several times their own number of extraordinary calamity creatures.

Xinsar, head of the Biological Analysis Department, says, "My lord, this is the Light of Glory experiment."

"The squad can now control the power with noticeable consistency."

"Our data shows that activating the Light of Glory increases their combat strength by at least twenty percent."

"At the same time, it suppresses the enemy by anywhere from twenty to forty percent."

"We tried to teach their activation method to others, but fewer than one in five succeeded. There must be other factors we still do not understand."

Rayleigh, head of the Extraordinary Analysis Department, says, "My lord, we have several theories. It may be connected to willpower and a sense of belonging."

Henwell says, "This power is called the Light of Civilization. It is born from the growth of the faction as a whole. The stronger that faction becomes, the more power its people can awaken."

"How a person uses it depends partly on individual will and partly on the resilience of the soul."

"Next, I will have them design a banner for Peace Haven itself. A banner bearing Henwell's personal crest represents loyalty to me alone; it cannot represent all of Peace Haven."

"Peace Haven now needs a symbol capable of binding its people together."

"I believe such a banner will make this power easier to awaken."

"We are also fighting for humanity and for Peace Haven in the Calamity War. Facing calamity creatures as our enemy provides another considerable boost to the power's activation."

"Once someone awakens it independently, or even experiences it once, doing so again becomes much easier."

Xinsar continues, "After testing the matter from several angles, the Biological Analysis Department has confirmed that relationships among calamity creatures are not fixed."

"The Subterranean River Bandits are hostile toward the Tidal Pirates, while the Northern Mountain Raiders show intense hostility toward the Quiet Forest Wanderers."

"The Subterranean River Bandits neither interfere with nor communicate with the Quiet Forest Wanderers or the Northern Mountain Raiders."

"The Tidal Pirates cooperate with the Quiet Forest Wanderers, but often fight the Northern Mountain Raiders, though they are not completely hostile toward them."

"We have not yet captured living specimens of the other two kinds of calamity creatures, so we currently have little information about them."

The discovery matters. The Expeditionary Zone must prepare for the possibility that the spreading Tidal Pirates will join forces with the inland Quiet Forest Wanderers.

Peace Haven must account for that possibility in its deployments before it is caught unprepared.